Magdalena Ratajczak-Szczerba, Iwona SobkowiakTabaka, Iwona Okuniewska-Nowaczyk
QUAESTIONES GEOGRAPHICAE 34(3) • 2015
PALAEOGEOGRAPHICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDS
OF NATURAL CHANGES OF THE JORDANOWO-NIESULICE
SUBGLACIAL CHANNEL NEAR LUBRZA, THE LUBUSZ
LAKELAND
Magdalena Ratajczak-Szczerba1, Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka2,
Iwona Okuniewska-Nowaczyk2
Institute of Geoecology and Geoinformation, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
2
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań, Poland
1
Manuscript received: June 25, 2015
Revised version: August 31, 2015
Ratajczak-Szczerba M., 2015. Palaeogeographical and archaeological records of natural changes of the Jordanowo-Niesulice subglacial channel near Lubrza, the Lubusz Lakeland. Quaestiones Geographicae 34(3), Bogucki Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Poznań, pp. 101–116, 8 figs, 3 tables. DOI 10.1515/­quageo-2015-0027, ISSN 0137-477X.
Abstract: The region of the Lubusz Lakeland in western Poland where there are a lot of subglacial channels provides
opportunity for multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. None of them has not been the object of a specific
study. The developmental history of the palaeolakes and their vicinity in the subglacial trough Jordanowo-Niesulice,
spanning the Late Glacial and beginning of the Holocene, was investigated using geological research, lithological and
geomorphological analysis, geochemical composition, palynological and archaeological research, OSL and AMS-radiocarbon dating. Geological research shows varied morphology of subglacial channel where at least two different
reservoirs functioned in the end of the Last Glacial period and at the beginning of the Holocene. Mostly during the
Bølling-Allerød interval and at the beginning of the Younger Dryas there took place melting of buried ice-blocks which
preserved the analysied course of the Jordanowo-Niesulice trough. The level of water, and especially depth of reservoirs underwent also changes. Palynological analysis shows very diversified course of the Allerød interval.
Keywords: palaeogrography, palaeoclimate, subglacial channels/trough, pollen analysis, human impact/geoarchaeology
Address of the corresponding author: Magdalena Ratajczak-Szczerba, e-mail: [email protected]; Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka,
e-mail: [email protected]; Iwona Okuniewska-Nowaczyk, e-mail: [email protected]
Introduction
According to many collected data from western, central and eastern Europe the Last Scandinavian Ice Sheet recession was characterized
by numerous environmental oscillations. These
changes were recorded in many evidences: terrestrial, glacial and marine proxy. During Late
Glacial vegetation and sedimentation changed
dynamically (Starkel 2002, Birks, Birks 2004, Willis, van Andel 2004, Latałowa, van der Knaap
2006, Zernitskaya et al. 2014). Changes in Europe were not synchronous. For example in the
north-eastern part of Europe there was the delay
of the early Holocene warming (Zernitskaya et al
2014 and referenced literature). The Łagów Lake
District that lies in the Central Polish Plain in the
Lubuska Pleistocene Plateau was free of ice after
the Poznań Phase during the recession of the Vistulian Glaciation. Presence of the ice sheet left terrestrial glacial and fluvioglacial landforms which
were transformed in the periglacial environment
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Magdalena Ratajczak-Szczerba, Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka, Iwona Okuniewska-Nowaczyk
and by numerous processes being a result of early
Holocene warming. This region provides opportunities for multiproxy palaeoenvironmental and
palaeoclimatic reconstructions. The research fill
the gap in the western part of Poland in the middle Europe. In the present study there was made
an attempt to achieve more detailed knowledge
on the Late Glacial and Early Holocene development of the sedimentary environment, changes
of the plant cover and climatic dynamic and people density changes of settlement.
Site description
The Jordanowo-Niesulice trough (52°19’N,
15°26’E, 66,25–72,5 m a.s.l.) is a middle size
trough (subglacial valley) (Fig. 1A, B). It is
18 km long and its width is from 400 to 2000 metres, depth – from 10 to 30 metres. The slopes
are inclined at the angle 6°–25°. The axis goes
from NE toward SW. It is the effect of subglacial drainage. The subglacial valley cuts perpendicularly the morainic hills of different genesis:
transformed morainic hills, dead ice moraines,
end moraines of accumulation type. They were
developed during the Poznań Stage (Phase) of
the Last Scandinavian ice sheet. Erosion-denudational valleys cut the slopes of morainic
hills and subglacial valley. The flat surface of
the present bottom of the analysied trough lies
at the altitude of 70–75 m a.s.l. Nowadays the
trough is drained by the Paklica river in the
northern course and the Niesulicki Channel in
the southern course. There are some lakes in the
trough in the vicinity of the research area: the
Lubrza Lake, the Goszcza Lake, the Lubie Lake
and the Czarny Dół Lake (Fig. 1B).
The morainic hills and moraines are built of
fluvioglacial sands and gravels, glacial tills, clays
and deformed glacial lake deposits with Miocene sediments. Pleistocene plateau is built of
fluvioglacial sands and gravels which became
from the transgression of the Vistulian glaciation
(Chmal 2003). The subglacial trough is filled by
peats, peats on gyttja, alluvia and sand of valley
bottoms (Chmal 2003).
Investigation methods
Field and laboratory work
The geology structure of the middle course of
the Jordanów-Niesulice trough was investigated
using a manual Instorf corer and the Eijkelkamp
hand auger. There were done 183 drillins along
26 lines. Using graphic interpolation four maps of
palaeoreservoirs were made: the morphology of
reservoir bottom map, the gyttja thickness map,
the top (ceiling) peat thickness map and map
of peat on the bottom (so called “bottom peat”)
distribution. The bottom of the trough is built of
sand. Sand is covered by organic matter, mostly
by gyttja of different types and peat – in some
places it lies directly on sand and younger peat at
the top of biogenic deposits. The sediment core of
713 cm long used in the analysis was taken using
a manual Instorf corer (location of drilling at Fig
1.C, LB 2013). It reached the mineral bottom of
the palaeolake. In the laboratory there were taken
samples in every 2–3 cm for further studies. Detailed lithofacial analysis were taken to recognize
kame situated in the investigated course of the
trough. The kame was explored on the basis of
three outcrops were made for lithological analysis of sediments: one in the middle of the main
axis, second near the connection of the kame with
trough slopes and third one along the fossil shore
of the palaeoreservoir. Ground investigations
consisted in basic lithological analyses: sediment
types, their textural and structural characteristics
were determined, palaeocurrents were measured
and samples taken for laboratory analysis. Laboratory analysis and accompanying desk studies
of results included the following steps: analysis
of the mechanical composition of the deposits,
using Casagrande’s aerometric-sieve method
(Racinowski, Szczypek 1985, Płochniewski 1986),
an analysis of the abrasion grade of quartz grains
using Krygowski’s (1964) mechanical graniformametry method for the fraction of 1.0–0.8 mm,
determination of the calcium carbonate content
using Scheibler’s apparatus. Miall’s lithofacial
code, as modified by Zieliński (1992), was used
for the textural-structural description of the sediments. It is very important part of the analysed
trough because it is the place of very early settlement. The settlement sites were given in to
archaeological research. In order to indentify the
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Palaeogeographical and archaeological records of natural changes 103
Fig. 1. Location of the research area.
A. Lubuskie Lake District Pojezierze Łagowskie, according to Kondracki (2000); B. Geomorphological map of the Jordanowo-Niesulickie
glacial troughs according to Chmal (2003): 1 – flat moraine plateau, 2 – undulated and hummocky moraine plateau, 3 – end moraines, mostly
accumulative, 4 – dead ice moraines, 5 – outwash plains, 6 – subglacial troughs, 7 – melt-out water valleys, 8 – transformed moraine hills, 9 – artificial
channels, 10 – lakes. C. Geomorphological sketch of the research area and location of investigated sites. 1 – biogenic matter accumulation plain,
2 – outwash plains level (sandur), 3 – edge of subglacial channels, 4 – moraine hills, 5 – alluvial fans, 6 – erosion–denudative valleys, 7 – water
reservoirs; 8 – archaeologically investigated areas; 9 – archaeologically investigated sites, 10 – location of drillings and collected cores for palynological (L–33/2 and
LB 2013) and geochemical analysis (LB 2013). D. Location of investigated reservoirs (palaeolakes), 11 – location of outcrops in the kame.
content of organic matter (OM) and terrigenous
component in the sediments, loss-on-ignition
(LOI) survey was applied. Sediment samples
were dried at 105°C and combusted at 550°C
for at least 4h for the burning of organic matter.
Organic matter and mineral proportions were
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Magdalena Ratajczak-Szczerba, Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka, Iwona Okuniewska-Nowaczyk
determined. Two samples of mineral sediments
were taken from the investigated kame for OSL
dating (10700±1600 UJK-OSL–46, 13300±2000
UJK-OSL–47). AMS-radiocarbon dates (11) of organic matter taken from the LB 2013 core were
done (Table 1). For pollen analysis samples of
fresh sediment, covering 2–3 cm intervals, were
prepared using the standard methodology (Berglund, Ralska-Jasiewiczowa 1986). Archaeological research was lead under the methodology
which is typical for palaeolithic sites. It consists
in manual exploration of archaeological layers in
outcrops, with using 1-meter net. Deposits from
each 1 square meter were winnowed through
sieves which have 1–2 cm loops, from each 10 cm
thick mechanical layer. Artefacts from each 1 meter and layer were counted separately.
Results
The geological structure
The geology of the middle course of the Jordanów-Niesulice trough was analysed in the vicinity of archeological sites 10 (Fig. 1C, D). On the
geological map this area is mark as flat surface
of biogenic accumulation. It rises up to 66.25 and
68.75 meters asl. The bottom is very diversified.
The maximum depth is about 9.5 – 10 meters.
On the basis of geological research 4 palaeolakes
were explored and they were named: first reservoir (No. 1) to the south-east from the archaeological site 10 (Fig. 1C, D), the second reservoir
(No. 2) to the north-east, the third one – to the
north-west and fourth – to the south-west from
the site 10 (Fig. 1C, D). According to the geological evidences, the second reservoir was a separated lake. The three others could be connected.
However, to confirm this thesis, there is a need of
further geological investigation.
Investigated reservoirs differ in size. The biggest is reservoir No. 1. Its diameter is 400 meters
long (Fig. 1D). The palaeolake No. 2 along N-S
axis is 370 meters long and along W-E axis – 250
meters long. Width of the third reservoir (No. 3)
is 300 meters . The smallest palaeolake is No. 4
with 150 meters width and 300 meters length. The
reservoirs differ in shape. The reservoir No. 1 is
almost square, No. 2 is similar the L letter. Shape
of No. 3 I No. 4 reservoirs is unknown because
the western shores and extend of them have not
been explored do far. All drainage basins have
similar depth, more than 9 meters. The reservoir
No. 1 even more than 10 meters. Probably the
depth is bigger because drillings have not reached
the mineral bottom. The reservoir No. 2 is not so
deep. Its maximum depth is 8.7 meters, up to the
mineral bottom. Morphology of palaeolakes are
in two of them (No. 3 & 4) not complicated (Fig.
2). In the middle of them there are depressions. In
the reservoir No. 2 there are two depressions – in
the southern part of it the biggest one, and in the
northern part – the smallest one. In the reservoir
No. 1 the big depression is in the middle of it and
in this depression there is a convex, oval bottom
form that is built of sand. The ceiling of it is 2 meters under the present surface of biogenic matter.
The shores are in the form of a steep slopes or
gentle ones. The reservoirs are filled with gyttja of
different types, with peat mostly in two positions.
Gyttja occurs in several lithofacies, i.e. silty-clay,
Table 1. AMS-radiocarbone dates from the LB 2013 core.
Lab. No.
Depth (cm)
Dated material
Poz–58460
Poz–60137
Poz–60138
Poz–65350
Poz–65346
Poz–58461
Poz–58462
Poz–65347
Poz–58463
Poz–58465
Poz–58466
Poz–61250
602–606
651–652
676–677
668
693
704
704
706
707
709
710–711
711
Plant detritus
Plant detritus
Plant detritus
Plant detritus
Plant detritus
Wood, Pinus needle
Wood, Pinus needle
Charcoal, Pinus
Charcoal, Pinus
Charcoal, Salix
Plant detritus
Charcoal, Pinus
C age (BP)
14
  8790±50
10400±50
10660±50
11160±50
11220±50
11340±60
11090±60
11770±60
11760±60
11700±60
  7970±40
11250±50
Biostratigraphical
zone
Holocene
Younger Dryas
Younger Dryas
Younger Dryas
Allerød
Allerød
Allerød
Allerød
Allerød
Allerød
Allerød
Allerød
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Palaeogeographical and archaeological records of natural changes calcareous, detritus and mineral. The mineral substrate of reservoirs are covered by silty-clay gyttja
and calcareous-mineral gyttja. Gyttja is gray, beige
and olive. The profiles taken along the shoreline
display interbeddings of charcoals. The interbeddings of malacofauna and plants remains occure
also very often. The reservoir No. 2 is filled by
gyttja of quite different lithofacies. It is a silty-clay,
detritus and calcareous gyttja, covering mostly
the floor of the reservoir. However, it differs in
colour, It is brown, rusty and even pink and pale
pink. The latteris probably the effect of dead red
alga Rhodophyta. Algae contain carotenoids and
dyes – red – ficoeritrina and blue – phycocyanin (Podbielkowski 1975, Kordowski et al. 2014).
And these dyes give unusual colour of gyttja. The
thickness of gyttja reach from 5.7 meters (in the
reservoir No. 2) to at least 9.3 meters (in the res-
105
ervoir No. 1) (Fig. 3). In some places the mineral
floor of reservoir are covered by peat, so called
basal peat (Fig. 4). The basal peat is stated on the
basis of its stratigraphical position – on the mineral bottom of the analysed palaeolake. It could
be mostly the Bølling-Allerød age (Błaszkiewicz
2005, 2011 and quated literature). It developed
around the initial, small and shallow water reservoirs on the surface of melting blocks of dead ice,
The basal peat do not cover the whole floor but appear only in some areas. The distribution of it isn’t
ascertained in the deepest part of the reservoirs.
The basal peat consists largely of Sphagnum peat,
often poorly decayed, with well-preserved macroscopic plant remains, or of a highly decomposed
from resembling coarse-detritus or mineral gyttja.
Its thickness is highly diversified and ranges from
5 cm to 40 cm (reservoir No. 1), 5–16 cm (reservoir
Fig. 2. The map of the reservoirs (palaeolakes) depth (in metres) and bottom morphology.
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Magdalena Ratajczak-Szczerba, Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka, Iwona Okuniewska-Nowaczyk
No. 2), 5–25 cm (reservoir No. 3), and 10–20 cm
(reservoir No. 4). The ceiling of biogenic matter
sediments consists also of peat which covers the
whole reservoir with a layer of variable thickness.
The thickness of this peat ranging from 0.1 meter
even to 4.7 meters (in the reservoir No. 2). Mostly
the thickness is about 1.5–2.0 meters. This largely
Carex and Sphagnum peat is characterized by varying phases of decomposition. The most top part
of about 0.5 meter is highly sandy peat.
Geochemical composition
In order to determine the environment al
changes in the Late Glacial and Early Holocene,
biogenic sediments from the reservoir No. 1
was collected (drilling at site 18 Fig. 1C) with
a thickness of 713 cm (Fig. 5) using manual Instorf sampler. The sandy bottom of the reservoir
was reached. Because the main aim of the study
is recognition of the environmental changes in
the Late Glacial and Early Holocene and reconstruction of the conditions that prevailed in the
initial period of melting buried dead ice., basal
meter of sediments has been subjected to detailed
analysis. The samples were taken from the core
separately for the analysis of calcium carbonate
content and for organic matter content. The content of CaCO3 has been indicated by using the
Scheibler’s method. Mineral particles has been
calculated on the basis of loss-on-ignition (LOI)
survey, due to heating at 550°C.
The average CaCO3 content in the basal peat is
23.5% (Fig. 5). In basal peat directly overlying the
Fig. 3. The map of the gyttja thickness (in metres) in the the reservoirs (palaeolakes).
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Palaeogeographical and archaeological records of natural changes sandy floor of the reservoir No. 1 there is 24.6%
of CaCO3. Then it decreases to the amount of
12.6%. After that it gradually increased to 36%.
Basal peat consist almost of organic matter. There
is 5.5% of average of mineral matter. It increases
from 2.85% to 8.7%.
Gyttja is a deposit very rich in CaCO3. The average amount in studied profile of sediments is
84%. Hence gyttja can be even classified as lacustrine chalk. The CaCO3 content increases from the
59% in gyttja in its layer overlying directly basal
peat. At the depth 691 cm the amount of CaCO3
reaches 100% and then a bit decreased to 83–85%.
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The average amount of mineral matter in gyttia
is similar to basal peat and it reaches 5.3%. In
gyttja directly overlying peat, the mineral matter
content increased to 13% and then decreases. At
a depth of 655–650 cm it vanishes completely.
Carbonate content index of sediments
(CaCO3/OM) was calculated on the basis of geochemical analysis (Fig. 5). It provides a quantitative measure of sediment lithological variability
(Wojciechowski 2000). High values of the index
indicate increased dampness of climate, higher
water levels, as well as changes in the depth of
the reservoir, since the process of leaching cal-
Fig. 4. The map of showing the distribution of the basal peat.
1 – basal peat, 2 – areas devoid of basal peat 3 – lack of data 4 – location of drillings, 5 – likely borders of the reservoirs, 6 –
ascertained shores of the reservoirs.
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Magdalena Ratajczak-Szczerba, Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka, Iwona Okuniewska-Nowaczyk
cium carbonate depends on the humidity of the
climate (Wojciechowski 2000). The average value
of the CaCO3/OM index for all analysed deposits is equal 0.764. It means that organic matter
predominates over calcium carbonate. Organic
matter predominates over calcium carbonate.
CaCO3/OM index values range from 0.130 for
the basal peat to 1.103 for gyttja. The dominance
of CaCO3 over OM has been identified only in
a few samples (at the depth of 69 cm – 1.103, 649
cm – 1.043, 626 cm – 1.002, 612 cm – 1.024, 601
cm – 1.015) (69 cm depth – 1.103, 649 cm – 1.043,
626 cm – 1.002, 612 cm – 1.024, 601 cm – 1.015).
Higher values of the CaCO3/OM index point at
cooler periods because of higher input of CaCO3.
The growth of CaCO3/OM index is visible at the
end of Allerød and especially during the Younger Dryas (Fig. 5). However, high contribution of
CaCO3 is also record during the phase of low water, especially in littoral zone, accumulated in the
Allerød (approximately 11000–11800 lat BP) (Wojciechowski 2000).
Palynological research
The very first palynological research in Lubrza region (Western Poland) was carried out
alongside archaeological excavations on site 42
(core L–33/2, location at Fig. 1C) (Okuniewska-Nowaczyk 2011a,b). Second core of biogenic
matter (core LB 2013, Fig. 1C) taken in the reservoir No. 1 underwent also detailed palynological
examination (Ratajczak-Szczerba et al., 2014). At
each research site there were the presence of the
basal peat. The 676-cm-thick core L–33/2 was collected in the southeastern part of an oval widening in the shore area of the reservoir (Fig. 6A). The
samples for detailed analysis for the existence of
sporomorphs was taken from the substratum sand
with detritus, the basal peat 56.5-cm-thick and the
gyttja deposited on top of it were all analyzed
for. The location of the second, 713-cm-thick core
(LB 2013) for detailed scientific analyses was determined in the vicinity of the archaeological site
no. 10 in the northern part of the reservoir with
a steep slopes on it bottom close to the northern
shoreline (Fig. 6B). The distance between the sampling locations of the cores is about 400 meters.
The accumulation of the sediments in both
sites under study took place in the late glacial
period; for the southern part of the reservoir it
was probably earlier, i.e. in Bølling, and for the
northern part – in Allerød, dated on the basis of
the AMS-radiocarbon and palynological analysis. The genesis of the biogenic sedimentation
were similar, although it began at a different
time. After the ice sheet had retreated and when
the climate conditions had improved, the melting
of buried ice blocks and hydrogenic ice began. In
the first phase a shallow depression was formed,
Fig. 5. Content of carbon dioxide and organic matter in the bottom part (713–600 m under ground level) of the site 18.
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Palaeogeographical and archaeological records of natural changes where peat-forming plants developed and left
a layer of peat. Further melting of the ice resulted
in an increase in the depth of the lake and consequently in the accumulation of calcareous gyttja.
The records of the history of vegetation from
the pre-Allerød periods point the open landscape
109
(Fig. 6A) in the research area. The conditions encouraged the development of heliophytes such as
Juniperus, Artemisia and Helianthemum. Numerous areas were covered with patches of dwarf
shrub tundra with Betula nana and Salix, probably
Salix polaris. Locations dominated by Hippophaë
Fig. 6. Simplified pollen diagram (AP+NAP=100%) of A. L–33/2, B. LB 2013.
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Magdalena Ratajczak-Szczerba, Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka, Iwona Okuniewska-Nowaczyk
rhamnoides appear later. The immediate vicinity
of the reservoir was dominated by the Cyperaceae, with records also of Menyanthes trifoliata and
Equisetum.
The pollen image of Allerød is diversified
(Fig. 6A, B). The fluctuating pollen curve might
not only point to the sedimentation processes not
running continuously, but also reflect the instability of the climate of that period. The history
of the vegetation from pre-Allerød is recorded
mainly in the basal peat in the core taken from
the southern part of the reservoir. The vicinity
of a lake surface and wind waves is recorded by
the algae, such as Pediastrum, Botryococcus and
Tetraedron genera. At the beginning, the area was
dominated by not dense birch-pine forests, with
pine-birch forests at a later stage and again birchpine forests locally dominated by Juniperus (probably Juniperus communis), which found favorable
conditions for growth there, particularly at the
kame nearby. The fact that the tree stand thinned
out might be attributed to the drop of temperatures, which was a harbinger of the upcoming
cooling of the climate.
The image of the Younger Dryas recorded in
both cores demonstrates the heterogeneity of this
period (Fig. 6B). The records show small initial
presence of Juniperus in the landscape, its maximum proportion later and fluctuating values in
the third phase. The presence of Artemisia follows
a similar pattern. The thinning tree stands were
conducive to aeolian processes. This is indicated
by a significant proportion of silt in the palynological samples. The effects of the natural processes were intensified by the activity of humans
settled (Federmesser and Swiderian societes) at
the nearby kame. Pollen diagrams recorded both
coal dust and numerous charred plant remains,
which constitute traces of past fires.
Also, a gap in sedimentation was recorded at
the beginning of the Holocene, which covered
the entire Preboreal, and also part of the Boreal
in the southern part of the reservoir (Fig. 6). This
phenomenon evidence in plant macrofossil and
charcoal analyses conducted by Kubiak-Martens
(2015).
Lithofacial analysis of a kame
Investigated reservoirs surround the convex
geomorphological feature. The kame consists of
sand and gravel sediments. It is elongated landform, oriented from the north-west toward the
south-east, perpendicularly to the axis and the
edge of the channel. The east end of the form
is connected to the III outwash level. The form
is higher about 10 meters above the present
surface of biogenic matter. The kame is largely
built of such sediments on its surface as sand
and silty sands, sporadically interbedded with
gravel sands (Fig. 7). The sediments are mostly
of massive structure (Fm, Sm, S(G)m). Some of
them is horizontally interbedded or they are low
angle laminated (SGl, Sl). The thickness of sediments layer is not big. Mostly massive sands and
massive silty sands prevail alternately. A massive structure can be an evidence of very short
transportation period, and together with the size
of grains – low energy of the depositional environment. However, alternate layers of different
sands point of the high variability of deposition
and decreasing share of water. The ground sediments were examined at three sites (Fig. 7).
Site 1: Mean grain size (Mz) of all deposits
about 2.7 phi (0.154 mm) indicates admixture of
fine grains and a transport in suspension (Fig.
8). Sediments are poorly and moderately sorted (δ 0.34–0.178 phi). Quartz grains are mostly
semi-angular (β 47.4%). Index of quartz grain
abrasion Wo equal 1025 points that there is
a prevalence of mature quartz grains, with blunt
quoins and edges. It indicates a transport in water long enough to round off quartz grains. High
value (23%) of γ-type quartz grains (rounded)
means that some amount if sediment can be supply by wind. In this research site, at the bottom of
deposits there are alternate massive sands (Sm),
massive silty sands (SFm), massive gravely sands
(SGm) and low-angle cross laminated gravely
sands (SGl). In the top of sediments there are 0.5
meter thick massive large-grained gravely sands
(S(G)m). Sediments like Sm, SGm, SFm are typical for fluvioglacial environment. Deposits like
S(G)m for gravely bottom braided river and also
for the distal position of the sandur fan. We can
treated this as gravely alluvium, accumulated
from layerd alluvion in the vicinity of ice (blocks
of dead ice or active ice). Massive sand (Sm),
massive silty sands (SFm) are sandy alluvium
that was accumulated in flat bottom melting river
with low-energy deposition from channel flow or
layerd alluvion.
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Palaeogeographical and archaeological records of natural changes 111
Fig. 7. Geological structures of the kame deposits (1, 2) and the shore line of the palaeolake (3). Schematic sedimentological
logs.
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Magdalena Ratajczak-Szczerba, Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka, Iwona Okuniewska-Nowaczyk
Site 2: Mean grain size (Mz) of all deposits is
2.36 phi (0.195 mm) indicates that gravely sand
material was transported by saltation (Fig. 8).
Sediments are moderate sorted (δ from 0.5 to 1.6
phi). Sands laminated horizontally (Sh), horizontaly laminated sand with gravel (SGh) and silty
sands (SFh) also laminated horizontaly are distributed alternate. However, their rhythm is finer. Series Sh, SFh or SFm establish brief sedimentary cycles from low-energy tractional current
(Sh) and deposition from suspension in almost
stagnant water (SFh, SFm). Slightly inclination
of deposits towards SW indicates gentle slope
of depositional surface. At the bottom there are
low-angle cross-laminated sands (Sp, Sl) and rip-
ple-cross lamination (Sr). Good sorting is an effect of long transport and stabilized regime. Over
deposits described above, there are fine-grained
sands and silts, mostly massive indicating the
transport in suspension during very slow flow.
It is confirmed by very poor sortation (δ 1.18–1.8
phi). The transport should be very short or the
amount of water in deposits was very small. The
most upper 1 meter of deposits is built from medium- and fine-size grained sand with admixture
of large-grained, massive sands (Sm, S(G)m).
Such sediments point on slope washes fine- and
medium-grained with admixture of gravel fraction deposits. Semi-angular of β-type are most
numerous among quartz grains. Two OSL sam-
Fig. 8. The grain-size composition of deposits and content of carbon dioxide in the kame (1,2) and in the palaeolake shore line.
Mz – mean grain size, defined as the arithmetic mean of 3 percentiles: d16, d50, d84, according to the method of Folk and Ward
(1957).
Unauthenticated
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Palaeogeographical and archaeological records of natural changes ples were taken from massive sand at the depth:
1.60 m 13,300±2,000 (UJK-OSL–47) and at 0.70
m 10,700±1,600 (UJK-OSL–46) (Fig. 7). The OSL
dates were received from the deposits that suggest the end of the deposition of the fluvioglacial
sediments. Diagnostic features of deposits point
sedimentary cycles from low-energy tractional
current and deposition from suspension, sometimes long transport and stabilized regime. According to the OSL dates it happened in the end
of the Old Dryas and at the beginning of Bølling
and in Allerød, at least at the beginning of the
Younger Dryas, as a result of melting of the ice
blocks left by retreated ice sheet.
Site 3: Mean grain size (Mz) of all deposits is
from 0.56 phi (0.678 mm) – big grains, moved
in fraction, to 4.76 phi (0.037 mm) – fine grains,
transported in suspension (Fig. 8). This research
site is located along the fossil palaeolake shore
and such data indicates mixing of water in the
breaker zone because of wind waves action. Sediments are poorly and very poorly sorted. There
are more quartz grains of α-type – angular ones.
It can be caused by intensive weathering along
the shore line. The mineral deposits are overlyied
by peat. It consists of 93–96% from organic matter.
The CaCO3 content in investigated deposits
are not high (Fig. 8). Fine-grained sediments, i.e.,
sands, silts and silty sands contain 2–3% CaCO3;
the compound is absent in coarse-grained sediments, having been removed in the course of
deposition In large-grained sediments there is
lack of CaCO3. Probably it was carried out from
deposit during transportation. In peat there is
only 3.0–6.0% of CaCO3.
Deposits lying below a depth of 0.70 m are deformed by numerous cracks in the form of normal
and reversed faults, which brought about considerable disturbances in the primary sedimentary
sequence of the deposits originally building the
feature (Fig. 7). Such types of deformations present in the marginal parts of kames are believed to
be related to the loss of ice support (Bartkowski
1963, Rotnicki 1976, Dadlez, Jaroszewski 1994),
whereas faults and deformations in the inner
parts of kames have been interpreted as a result
of the collapse of sediments into the spaces that
remained following the melting of buried dead
ice deposited under kame deposits (Karczewski
1971, Klajnert 1978).
113
Archaeological research
On the sandy kames, just next to former reservoirs, five Late Palaeolithic sites were located,
within the area of ca. 1 km2.
The largest one (site no. 42, Fig. 1C) yielded
over 10,000 flint artefacts affiliated to two taxonomic units, namely the Federmesser and Swiderian cultures (Kabaciński, Sobkowiak-Tabaka 2010).
The first one developed generally on the territory
of present-day Poland in the Allerød (Greenland
Interstadial – GI – 1c1 – 1a; circa 13,550 – 12,750
years cal b2k) and in the initial phases of the
Younger Dryas – GS–1, circa 12,750 – 11,700 years
cal b2k (Litt et al. 2001, Lowe et al. 2008). The second one existed between mid-Younger Dryas and
the beginning of Preboreal (Sobkowiak-Tabaka
2011:112). Additionally, 1000 Mesolithic artefacts,
dated to the Early Holocene, were found.
Excavations at a neighbouring site 11 (Fig.
1C), located approximately 400 m to the east, produced the remains of the Swiderian occupation
along with a few artefacts attesting to the penetration of the area by Mesolithic communities
(Kabaciński, Sobkowiak-Tabaka 2011).
On the other side of the Niesulicki Channel,
about 100 m to NW from site 42 (Fig. 1C), a single
backed point was found, most likely related to
the activity of the Federmesser community from
a camp at site 42 (Pyżewicz et al. 2008).
At site 10 (Fig. 1C), on a sandy kame, ca. 500
m to the north from site 42, remains of two Late
Palaeolithic campsites were discovered. The first
one, consisting of five flint concentrations (ca.
1150 items), a hearth (?) with several fine, burnt
animal bones, is attributable to the Federmesser
Culture, and the other one to the Swiderian Culture (ca. over 2800 items). Radiocarbon determination of burnt bones gave the result 11300±60
BP (Poz–65348).
About 200 Swiderian artefacts were recovered
from the northernmost site in the investigated
area – site 37 (Fig. 1C). A few Mesolithic implements, evidencing the penetration of the area
in the Early Holocene, were also found. In the
course of excavations carried out on the northern
shore of the reservoir no. 2 (site 38), no Palaeolithic or Mesolithic artefacts or traces of occupation were registered.
Remains of a number of functionally diverse
sites, namely single finds, domestic units and
Unauthenticated
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114
Magdalena Ratajczak-Szczerba, Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka, Iwona Okuniewska-Nowaczyk
workshops confirm relatively intensive occupation on the kames features neighbouring areas
of the palaeoreservoirs. Both geological and palaeoenvironmental conditions were suitable for
human occupation in the Late Palaeolithic and
Mesolithic (albeit to a lesser extent), not only because of the vicinity of water reservoirs but also
the presence of moraine hills cut by outwash valleys and channels (Bratlund 1999, Jasiewicz, Sobkowiak-Tabaka 2015, Spiess 1979). Such geodiversity was favourable for Late Palaeolithic and
Mesolithic hunter-gatherer societies, living mostly on hunting and fishing. Human impact on the
investigated area is also visible in the sediments
recorded in the reservoir No. 1. Charcoals recovered from the level related to the Federmesser
occupation come most probably from campfires,
while charred remains of sedges and peat moss
recorded in the level related to the Swiderian settlement indicate perhaps intentional shaping of
the shoreline. It is highly possible that changes in
the settlement intensity throughout the analysed
area, i.e., fairly intensive Mesolithic settlement on
the south side of the reservoir 1 and its virtual absence on the northern side, are directly related to
a different evolution in its various parts. The lack
of settlement on the northern shore of reservoir
No. 2 might have been caused by its poor utility
(a wide shoreline restricting the access to water).
Conclusions
The subglacial trough was formed during the
Last Scandinavian Ice Sheet retreat on the Pomeranian Phase Line. The bottom morphology
of the palaeolakes consist of several depressions.
Nowaczyk (1994) hypothesized that subglacial
channels were preserved by dead-ice blocks.
They get into the channels because of decay of
the tunnel ceiling. Subsequent covering by sandy-gravely fluvioglacial deposits preserved the
dead-ice blocks, and protect them from heating
and as a consequence from quickly melting. Only
the climate warming in Bølling-Allerød interval
and in Preboreal caused very quickly melting
of buried dead-ice blocks. Other hypothesis of
the presence of the depressions in the subglacial
channels claims that these features on the subglacial channels bottoms were the effect of erosion
caused by water under the hydrostatic pressure
(Błaszkiewicz 2011, Kordowski et al. 2014). The
subglacial channel could be filled also by deadice blocks which could have hydrogenic character that was caused by super-cooling phenomena (Błaszkiewicz 2011). The analysed subglacial
trough together with dead-ice blocks which preserved it, was filled by fluvioglacial sandy-gravely deposits. In the investigated course of the Jordanow-Niesulice glacial trough there are at least
two separate reservoirs: No. 1, 3 and 4 could be
the same palaeolake, but this hypothesis should
be confirmed by further research and reservoir
No. 2 which was completely independent lake.
The morphology of the reservoirs bottom is diversify by several depressions, the effects of buried dead-ice blocks presence. The depth of the
depressions is more than 10 meters. Melting of
the buried ice in the subglacial channel began the
period of the full development of the lake basin.
However, probably it took place in two different
time. The basal peat which was found on the bottom of palaeolake was dated 14C and palynologicaly. Mostly, the melting began in the Allerød interval. In the southern part of the reservoir No. 1
the palynological evidences suggest that it could
be even earlier, in the Bølling. After melting of
the buried ice development of the lake basins
began and deposition of lacustrine sediments,
mostly by gyttja. In the reservoirs No. 1, 2 and 4
there is a prevalence of the same types of gyttja:
silty-clay, calcareous, detritus and mineral, gray,
beige or olive. Only in the reservoir No. 2, gyttja
is brown, rusty and pink, probably the effect of
red alga Rhodophyta. There is a kem between
the reservoirs No. 1 and 2. This the form where
people settled during Late Palaeolithic. The feature was formed during the fluvioglacial flow
over the dead-ice blocks and deposition of sand
and gravel in the cracks and crevasses. Fine deposits (Fm, Fh) were accumulated after cessation
of flow, from suspension in small ponds on the
surface. These small pond probably functioned
between and under the buried ice blocks. Small
thickness of layers suggests a great diversity of
sedimentation conditions: alternately from flowing water and in water of waning flow or even
in stagnant water. Later, in the second period of
feature development there took place periodic redeposition of supraglacial large grain sediments,
that means direct melting of the buried ice blocks.
During that time large grain sands with gravels,
Unauthenticated
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Palaeogeographical and archaeological records of natural changes massive were deposited, very often as a result of
mass movement. The source of water for these
processes was in ice blocks which were stuck
in the investigated trough. The development of
the kame feature ende in the Bølling-Allerød interval, at leats at the beginning of the Younger
Dryas (OSL dates 13,300±2,000, UJK-OSL–47 and
10,700±1,600, UJK-OSL–46) These processes were
probably synchronous with the buried ice blocks
melting. In the vicinity of the reservoirs, especially on the kame feature and around the palaeolakes form the people settled from the late Late
Palaeolithic. There are known eight archaeological sites (Fig. 1C). The artefacts affiliated to the
Federmesser and Swiderian cultures were found.
They were dated to the Allerød and the Younger Dryas the first one, and the second one between mid-Younger Dryas and the beginning of
Preboreal. The artefacts came from the Mesolithic
communities were dated to the Early Holocene.
According to archaeological investigation diversified geology, geomorphology and land cover
mostly by birch-pine, later pine-birch and again
birch-pine forests were favourable for settlement
in Late Glacial and beginning of Holocene.
Acknowledgment
This research was supported by Grant for
Scientific Research of National Science Centre:
No. DEC–2011/01/D/HS3/04134, the project
leader: dr Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka. We would
like to thank that Reviewer for good, kind and
valuable guidance.
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